Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas said his final day on the job will be June 30, 2019, ending a presidency marred by employee layoffs, declining student enrollment, and increasing tensions between the administration and faculty. Dr. Thomas made the announcement at the beginning of the Friday, June 14 Board of Trustees meeting in Macomb.

“At this pivotal time in our history, I believe the university would best be served by new leadership,” Thomas said, reading from a prepared statement to the crowd of about 200 people in attendance.

Under terms of his negotiated departure, Thomas will spend one year on paid administrative leave and one year on sabbatical. He will receive his full $270,528 salary in each of those years. He will then have the option of returning to the classroom as a professor of English.

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Listen to the remarks from WIU President Jack Thomas and Board of Trustees Chairperson Greg Aguilar

BoT Chairperson Greg Aguilar said Thomas brought the proposal to the board’s closed door meeting Thursday night. The board gave unanimous approval Friday morning after reviewing and discussing the proposal.

Aguilar praised Thomas’ leadership.

“He met the board’s charge to keep the university’s doors open. He met payroll obligations and maintained the quality of the educational experience we provide here,” Aguilar said.

“We wish to thank Dr. Thomas for the leadership he has provided.”

Thomas received a standing ovation from many of those in the room after Aguilar concluded his comments.

Incoming provost Martin Abraham will serve as WIU’s temporary president until the BoT can choose an interim president. The board will conduct a national search for Western’s next president. No timetable was set for completing that search.

Thomas (seated) received a standing ovation during Friday’s BoT meeting.

CREDIT RICH EGGER

Thomas came to Western in January 2008 to serve as provost. His previous job was at Middle Tennessee State University – Murfreesboro, where he served as senior vice provost for academic affairs, interim dean of the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, and professor of English.

His personal page on Western’s websitelists what the university considers his top accomplishments, such as the Western Commitment Scholarship and the Centennial Honors College Scholarship programs. He has also touted thePresident’s Executive Institute, a realignment plan announced in July, 2018, and the creation of 17 new degree programs at WIU.

Thomas served longer than the average college president, leading led Western for eight years.An article in The Chronicle of Higher Educationcited a 2017 survey by the American Council on Education, which found the average tenure for college presidents was 6.5 years in 2016.

The decline in student enrollment preceded the Thomas presidency, though his administration was unable to stem it or turn it around:

Fall 2010: 12,585

Fall 2011: 12,554

Fall 2012: 12,205

Fall 2013: 11,707

Fall 2014: 11,458

Fall 2015: 11,094

Fall 2016: 10,373

Fall 2017: 9,441

Fall 2018: 8,502

Western was especially hurt during the unprecedented two-year state budget impasse under former Governor Bruce Rauner. Public universities received little state funding during that period, which started in July 2015 and createduncertainty for higher education across Illinois.

“Without a doubt, I have had to make some difficult decisions, including ones that have sometimes been very unpopular but nevertheless were always made with the best interests of the overall university’s future at heart,” Thomas said during his remarks at the BoT meeting.

At about the same time, Thomas announcedadministrators would no longer take furloughs, even though the furlough program was established to help save money for the university. The furlough program had been in place for three years.

During the course of the past year, several BoT members resigned. At the end of March, 2019, newGovernor J.B. Pritzker cleared the deck, appointing seven new members to the eight member board (the eighth member is the student representative, who is elected by fellow students).

At the end of the 2018-19 school year, faculty remained unhappy with the administration. 230 faculty members completed the entire President’s Performance Survey Report (out of 478 who were eligible). On a five-point scale (with five being the high mark), Thomas received a mean value rating of 1.62, down from the year before. Among the other findings:

Nearly 69% strongly disagree that “Overall, President Thomas is highly effective at performing the duties of the President.”

More than 67% strongly disagree that “President Thomas fosters effective relationships with the UPI (University Professionals of Illinois, the union representing faculty).”

The cries to oust Thomas increased in late May afterhe fired Brad Bainter, Vice President, Advancement and Public Services, who graduated from Western and had worked for the university for more than 35 years. Neither side has publicly commented on the matter.